Country Star Chase Rice Hits The Turf To Discuss Football, Failure, & Finding His Way
Country singer Chase Rice is the guest on a brand new episode of The Turf: Powered by D1 to discuss his journey from college football linebacker to being played on country radio.
Before the platinum records, before the tours, before “Eyes on You,” Chase was a highly-recruited linebacker, a UNC football player, a survivor of a devastating injury, and a guy who had to completely rebuild who he was.
This conversation is everything The Turf is about: identity, adversity, competitiveness, coaching, and the work it takes to evolve when life doesn’t go as planned.
Below are a few standout moments from Chase Rice's conversation with host Will Bartholomew you don’t want to miss…
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1. “I Almost Dropped Out … All Because Of A Girlfriend.”
Early during his football career at UNC, Chase almost considered leaving because he was missing home, especially his girlfriend.
However, he stayed at UNC, going on to start for the Tar Heels. Now, he wants to tell high schoolers one thing.
“I tell kids now just go to college,” he said. “The girlfriend, if that works out, it works out.”
2. The One Coach Who Changed Everything
During the episode, Chase named one coach who changed his outlook on football, Chuck Pagano.
Pagano was Chase's defensive coordinator and brought positivity that he had never had before at UNC.
“It was Chuck Pagano that changed my whole outlook,” Rice said. “Coach P was so positive in practice.”
3. His One Football Regret
During his senior year, Chase was mentally checked out, ignoring his team and his eventual replacement, Bruce Carter.
However, this attitude left him with a big regret later in life.
“I didn't do a good enough job of taking him under my wing to make him the best player he could be so we could win games that year,” Chase said. “And that's a regret that I have, but you can't change it now.”
4. How Country Music Became His Outlet
When he was 22, Chase's whole world stopped following the death of his father.
Needing to express his emotions, Chase wrote his first ever song “Larger Than Life.”
With that first song, Chase turned to country music and became a songwriter.
5. Reinvention In Life
On top of his country career, Chase worked for Hendrick Motorsports' pit crew and even starred on Survivor.
It was a period in his life where he said “nobody liked me.”
But he pushed through and now feels that his life is improving every year.
Why This Episode Hits Different
Chase Rice's story is messy, human, funny, painful, and inspiring. It’s a masterclass in pivoting, humility, leadership, and staying positive when every door closes at once.
If you’re an athlete, a parent, a coach, or anyone navigating a transition, this one will hit home.
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